


set a course for winds of fortune

by fraudulentzodiacs



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Divorce, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Injuries, Storm Chasing, Twister AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:54:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26527810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraudulentzodiacs/pseuds/fraudulentzodiacs
Summary: “Are you sure he’s going to be there?”“Oh, yeah,” Tyler chuckles. “If I know Jamie, he’s already dragged his entire team into the field. He’d never pass up a storm cell like this.”
Relationships: Jamie Benn/Tyler Seguin, Jordie Benn/Jessi Kohout, Tyler Seguin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 105





	set a course for winds of fortune

**Author's Note:**

> Hello and welcome to my very self-indulgent re-write of one of my favorite movies. If you've seen the movie, you'll notice a lot of similar dialogue and plot points, though I tried to mix things up where I could. 
> 
> There are two characters who die in this fic, and I've made a note at the end about who it is.
> 
> Thank you as usual to the amazing @[kkane88](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kkane88/pseuds/Kkane88) for being the best beta!

“Where  _ are _ we?” Tyler glances over and watches Miranda stare out the window at the flat fields surrounding them. They’re still on a paved road, but there’s no telling how long that will last. Honestly, Tyler had just been grateful that Klinger had responded to his text and let him know where they had set up. If he hadn’t been feeling gracious, Tyler was sure they never would have found them.

“Rural areas are more susceptible to tornadoes; you’ll almost always find chasers in the middle of nowhere.”

“Hmmm,” Miranda hums, a small smile on her face. “Are you sure he’s going to be there?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tyler chuckles. “If I know Jamie, he’s already dragged his entire team into the field. He’d never pass up a storm cell like this.”

“I just hope we can get back to Dallas before it gets bad.”

“It’ll be fine, honey.”

“You’re nervous about seeing him, aren’t you?”

“What?” Tyler turns his gaze from the road to his fiancée. “No, of course not. I just want to get this done.” He reaches across the armrest and pulls Miranda’s hand into his own. “Why, do I look nervous?”

“A little.” Miranda chuckles. “That’s normal, though. Understandable.”

“I just…” Tyler sighs. “I just want that part of my life to be over. I’m ready to start my new life with you.”

“He signed the papers?”

“He said he did.” Tyler shrugs, and lifts their joined hands to drop a kiss on the hand where Miranda’s engagement ring gleams.

~~~

“There they are.” Tyler can’t fight the smile that creeps onto his face as he takes in the familiar sight of his team – his  _ old _ team, he corrects himself – as they pull up. Jordie spots him first, and he lets out a laugh that Tyler can hear through the closed window as he points at Tyler.

“Seggy!” He crows. “It’s The Extreme!”

“Whatever, idiot.” Tyler throws his arms around Jordie, letting his soon-to-be former brother-in-law squeeze him. “What’s up, Darth?”

“How you doing, bro?”

“Living the dream,” Tyler replies, gesturing for Miranda to come around the truck to join him. “Darth, this is Miranda. Ran, I have the dubious honor to introduce you to Jordie Benn.”

“Oh, you’re Jamie’s brother?” She asks, taking the hand that Jordie offers.

“Only when I feel like claiming him,” Jordie replies. “And I can already tell you’re way too good for this dude.”

Miranda’s answering chuckle is small and awkward and Tyler sees Jordie’s grin dim.

“Hey man, is Jamie around?”

“Yeah, he’s over with Rads working on the doppler. Damn thing broke again.” Jordie shrugs. “Not much grant money left, y’know?”

“Babe, why don’t you wait here with Jordie? I’ll be right back.” Tyler pushes Miranda toward Jordie. While he doesn’t trust Jordie as far as he could throw him as far as telling Miranda all kinds of stories Tyler doesn’t want her to hear, he also wants to avoid her meeting Jamie for as long as possible.

“Darth, why don’t you explain to Miranda….why you are the way you are?”

“Man, Chubbs is gonna flip out when he sees he’s back,” Jordie mutters as he guides Miranda toward the camping chairs he has set up outside his bus.

“I’m not back!” Tyler calls over his shoulder as he crosses the space the team has claimed. His eyes find Jamie immediately, standing on top of Rads’ van and fiddling with the doppler. He must not have heard his team greeting Tyler – too lost in his work, as usual, Tyler muses. He’s still staring at the piece of tech like it has personally offended him when Tyler is underneath him. Jamie is just as handsome as he had always been, even back when they had both been young, fresh-faced undergrads with big dreams and eyes just for each other. His beard was thicker than Tyler remembered. His hair was longer, poking out underneath the faded backwards snapback.

Tyler could only just make out the faded  _ Galveston Island _ on it that told him that it was the hat he had bought Jamie on their honeymoon.

“Hey Jam.” Jamie’s eyes snap down to him at that. His face is neutral and unreadable, and he quickly turns his gaze back to the doppler.

“Glad you found us.”

“How’s it going?”

“You see that sky?” Jamie juts his chin out toward the horizon, and Tyler looks to where the sky is a multitude of colors, chaotic and beautiful.

“Yeah, she’s really talking today.”

“Catch,” Jamie orders, tossing down a pile of cords. “Biggest storm system in a decade. NSSL is saying they’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Yeah, great.” Tyler shoves the cords into Jamie’s arms once he’s jumped off of the van and is back on the ground. “Listen, about the divorce papers-“

“Captain?” Tyler recognizes Guri’s voice, and turns to where the intern he and Jamie had interviewed only a few years ago was waiting with his camera in hand.

“It not work.” Guri offered up the camera, frustration clear on his face.

“There’s grass in the auto-focus.” Jamie tells him, taking the camera from Guri’s hands. “You gotta clean it, kid.”

“Okay, I clean. Thank you.” Guri takes the camera back as Jamie turns back to his laptop. “Welcome back, Seggy.”

“I’m not back,” Tyler insists, feeling his frustration grow. He and Miranda had planned to show up, get the papers, and get back to Dallas by mid-afternoon.

“You want the papers?” Jamie asks, his focus fully on the screen in front of him.

“It’d be nice!” Tyler snaps, folding his arms over his chest. “That is why we came all the way out here?”

“They’re signed, don’t worry. Why are you in such a hurry, you act like you’re getting married or something-“

“I  _ am _ ,” Tyler snaps, and he watches as every muscle in Jamie’s body freezes.

“You sure don’t waste any time. Melissa?”

“Miranda,” Tyler corrects, feeling his hackles rise. “You know that.”

“Wasn’t there a Melissa?”

“No, there’s only been Miranda since…since.”

“Huh.” Tyler follows Jamie as he climbs into his beat up truck and pulls out a stack of papers. “Here you go.”

Tyler takes the papers, flips through them to make sure everything is signed. The last thing he wants is to have to track Jamie and his team down  _ again _ . Toward the back, he spots a page Jamie hasn’t signed and thrusts the papers back in his direction. “You missed a page.”

“I did?” Jamie takes the papers, flipping through them before he settles down to read the page he’d missed.

“Jamie,” Tyler groans. “Just sign the damn paper.”

“I want to read it.”

“It’s the same as it was back in December.”

“I didn’t read them in December.”

“Fucking figures. Would you just sign it so we can get out of here?”

“We?” Jamie perks up at that. “You brought her here?”

“Yeah, she’s with Jordie.”

“You left her with  _ Jordie _ ? What, are you crazy?” Jamie gathers the papers and sets off, leaving Tyler to scramble to follow him in the direction of Jordie’s bus.

“What are you doing?”

“I want to meet her.” Jamie shrugs.

“No, absolutely not.”

“If you didn’t want me to meet her, you shouldn’t have brought her out here.”

“ _ Fuck _ .” Tyler stares skyward.

“The Suck Zone is, basically, the point at which the twister sucks you up. Not the technical term, obviously, but-“ Jordie’s voice carries over and Tyler groans.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Jamie Benn.” Jamie sticks his hand out, and Miranda stands up and takes his hand with a gentle smile.

“Hi, Miranda Daniels. Nice to meet you.”

“Tyler just told me the happy news.” Jamie gestures toward the ring on Miranda’s hand, and Tyler can’t stop his eyes from moving to the ring still resting on Jamie’s finger.

“It must seem pretty sudden.” Miranda concedes, blushing prettily. “We just wanted to get it done before Ty starts his new job.”

“You’re getting married?” Jordie’s eyes bounce from Miranda to Tyler to Jamie before landing on Tyler again. “Congrats, bro.”

“Yeah, right, you’re going to be a weatherman.” Jamie nods, and Tyler sneers.

“Why are you saying it like that?”

“Like what?”

“With that  _ tone _ .”

“What  _ tone _ ? You’re going to be a weatherman, that’s great.”

“Whatever.”

“I have no problem with you being a weatherman.”

“Well I have no problem  _ being _ a weatherman.”

“Good.”

“Great.”

Before they can continue, the shrill tone of a cell phone ringtone pierces the air and Miranda fumbles through her purse.

“Dr. Miranda Daniels.” She answers, and Jamie turns away. “Yes, hi.” Tyler meets her gaze and she mimes signing a paper. Tyler sighs and shakes his head, following Jamie toward his truck.

“New truck?” He asks, gesturing to the sleek new Ford pickup. Tyler nods and Jamie shakes his head. “Wow. New truck, new life, new spouse. A whole new you.”

“Yep.”

“This is awkward.”

“I know.” Tyler conceded. “So, if you could just-“

“I thought you’d be coming out here alone.”

“I wasn’t expecting to come out here at  _ all _ , Jamie. You said-“

“It’s here.”

That gives Tyler pause, his mind immediately going to…but no, there’s no way.

“STARS?” He asks, tentative, and Jamie nods.

“She’s here,” Jamie confirms.

Tyler follows Jamie back to his beat-up old green truck, the bed covered by a heavy tarp. Jamie throws the cover off and Tyler’s heart clenches in his chest as the device he had only seen in dreams and sketches is fully formed in front of him. It’s a few feet tall, all metal, with a plastic lid covering the inside where the sensors rest. STARS-1 is painted on the side, a green and white star above it.

“You actually did it.” Tyler breaths, and Jamie nods.

“We were able to build four.”

“Can I?” Tyler asks, and Jamie nods as he drops the tailgate so Tyler can climb up. The sensors he’d helped design are visible. He finds the button to lift the lid and picks up a sensor, cradling it in his hands. This had been everything he and Jamie had dreamed of for years, and now he’s holding it in his hands.

“You deserved to be here for her first time out,” Jamie tells him, and Tyler gives him his first genuine smile since he’d arrived.

“Your man’s a genius,” Jordie tells Miranda as he guides her over to Jamie’s truck, the rest of the team following them. “This was all him, man, his concept. The Extreme!”

“It’s very cool,” Miranda agrees, raising an eyebrow. “Um, what is it?”

“It’s an instrument pack for studying tornadoes,” Tyler informs her, handing her the sensor in his hand. “The first of its kind.”

“Oh,” she replies, studying the sensor.

“Scientists have been studying tornadoes for decades, but we still don’t know how they work. We have no idea what’s going on inside because you can’t take scientific measurements from inside the funnel. This instrument pack will do that,” Jamie continues, the speech practiced from when they’d had to go around begging for funding.

“How?”

“We put her up inside a tornado. The sensors are released and transmit data back to us. The sensors will measure all parts of the tornado simultaneously.”

“We could learn more about tornadoes in thirty seconds than we have in thirty years,” Dickie explains, as he and the rest of the team walk up. “It’s very exciting.”

“And what will that do? How will the data be useful?”

“If we know how a tornado works, we could develop an advanced warning system,” Tyler tells her.

“Isn’t there already a warning system?”

“It’s not good enough,” Jamie replies quickly, his tone sharp. “It’s nowhere near good enough. If we knew more about how tornadoes worked, we could increase the warning time from three minutes to fifteen.”

“Give people enough time to find a safe place,” Jordie continues, looking to Jamie, his gaze piercing.

“I can’t believe you did it.” Tyler jumps off of the truck, turning to Jamie.

“ _ We _ did it.” Jamie shrugs, gesturing to the team.

“How do you get it in the tornado?” Miranda asks, handing the sensor back to Jamie.

“Well, you’ve got to get it in the path of the tornado, then get gone before it grabs you too.”

“It’s the suck zone.” Jordie explains, leaning deep into Miranda’s space.

“Oh.” Tyler watches her pull subtly away from Jordie

“Chubbs, we’ve got major action!” Esa’s voice rings out as he slams his laptop shut and throws it in a bag. “NSSL says the caps are breaking, the tower's going up to 30 miles up the dryline!”

“Alright, let’s roll,” Jamie orders, and their well-trained team immediately jumps into action. Tyler grasps Miranda’s hand as they watch them pack up their equipment in record time.

“Klinger, you’re up!” Jamie slams the tailgate of his truck shut after making a few last-minute checks on STARS-1. “Guri, don’t forget the camera!”

“They can handle this; they know what they’re doing,” Tyler tells Miranda as he guides her toward his trucks. “They’re professionals…sort of.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go along?”

“What? No, of course not.” Tyler glances back at the team. “I mean-? No.”

“Did he sign the papers?” Tyler whips his head back toward Jamie’s truck, where he is already peeling out in the lead of the caravan. “Are you kidding?”

“Shit!” He tugs Miranda toward the truck a little faster. “Come on, we can still catch them.”

Dickie and Rig roll past them as Tyler throws the door open. “Glad you’re back, Seggy!”

“I’m not back, Rig!”

~~~

“Klinger!” Jamie clicks on the CB radio as he pulls onto the highway, his voice clear over the radio in Tyler’s truck. “Can we do better than the 25?”

“Uhhh….No, not for a while. It’s best to stay on it for about ten miles, then there’s a state highway we can use to cut through to the 287.”

“Got it.”

“Once we catch up with them, you take the truck and head back to Dallas. I’ll get the papers signed and get one of the guys to give me a ride home tonight,” Tyler tells Miranda as they pull up behind Jordie’s bus.

“You know what? This is really interesting, I think I’m going to tag along.” Tyler looks over and finds Miranda smiling. “It’s neat to see this side of your life.”

“Are you sure? It can get a little intense.”

“You think I can’t handle it?” Miranda’s lips are pursed, and she raises an eyebrow at him, a clear challenge that has Tyler shaking his head. Before he can respond, however, he sees a familiar black and yellow van coming up alongside them fast.

“Motherfucker.” He curses. “Marchy.”

“Who is that?” Miranda cranes her neck to take in the new caravan.

“Brad Marchand,” Tyler grumbles, fumbling for the CB radio. “He’s a rat. We were roommates our freshman year, but he’s always only been in it for the money, not the science. He’s got a lot of high-tech gadgets, but he doesn’t have STARS.”

“Jamie,” Tyler says into the radio. “What the hell is Marchy doing here?”

“I don’t know,” Jamie replies. “But I bet he’s asking the same thing about you.”

Tyler watches as Marchy’s sleek caravan flies past their ragtag group.

~~~

They stop for gas and food half an hour later, and Tyler stands by the road as Miranda checks her phone. The sky is a sickly greyish green, and there is something in the air that has Tyler on edge. His eyes travel over to where Marchy is surrounded by reporters and cameras.

“I’m interested in chasing after the unknown.” Marchy’s voice carries over to Tyler, and Tyler rolls his eyes at Marchy’s grandstanding. “What if we could predict a tornado’s path? How many lives could we save with an advanced warning system? Well, ladies and gentlemen, that’s what we’re going to get thanks to this beauty.” Tyler can just make out a large metal contraption through the reporters, and he feels his stomach sink as Marchy opens the lid, pulling out a small sensor. “This is BOS, she’s full of these little sensors that will make their way up into the twister and transmit data back to us that will allow us to learn more about tornadic activity than scientists have in decades.”

“Son of a bitch…” Tyler moves toward the group before he even realizes he has moved.

“Tyler-“ Tyler vaguely registers Jamie’s voice as he brushes past him.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“Seggy, don’t-“ Big Rig grasps his arm, but Tyler throws the larger man off easily, despite Rig having six inches and almost sixty pounds on him.

“You stole my design, you asshole!” Tyler launches himself at Marchy without hesitation. Immediately, he feels hands pulling him away, but he keeps swinging.

“Get him off of me!” Marchy screeches, and soon he feels Jordie’s arm around his chest, yanking him back. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“STARS! You stole her! You stole my idea!” Tyler struggles against Jordie’s hold, reaching for Marchy.

“An  _ unrealized _ idea,” Marchy counters, smug as ever.

“She was our idea and you  _ know that _ you fucking rat.”

“Come on.” Tyler registers Jamie’s hand on his arm. “He isn’t worth it.”

“Exactly, fuck him.” Jordie agrees and drags Tyler away with Jamie’s help.

“The days of sniffing the dirt are over, Seggy babe.” Marchy calls out. “I’m really looking forward to your weather reports.”

“Shit,” Jamie grumbles, reaching for Tyler before he can run back to Marchy. “C’mon, c’mon.”

“You should’ve told me,” Tyler snaps, throwing Jamie’s hands off of him. He glances back at Marchy, then to the STARS unit in Jamie’s truck, and finally back to Jamie. “I’ll give you one day. Whether she flies or not, I’m gone.”

Later, Tyler stands at the edge of the road, a pile of dirt drifting slowly out of his hand as he watches it float away in the wind.

“What you got?” Tyler sees Jordie out of the corner of his eye as he turns his gaze to the sky.

“Going green.” He gestures out to the horizon. “We need to go.”

“Saddle ‘em up!” Jordie calls without hesitation, and the team snaps to attention. Miranda is waiting by the truck, drinks in hand, and he hands her the keys to the truck.

“Hey babe, I want you to drive the truck and follow behind us, okay? You’ll be safer behind Jordie, I’ve gotta ride with Jamie.”

“Where are we going?” She asks, but Tyler has already turned toward Jamie’s truck, snatching the keys out of his mouth.

“Thanks, I’ll drive.”

~~~

They fly down the backroads highway as the sky grows darker, and the knowledge that the caravan is following as Tyler and Jamie lead the charge has Tyler settling into the seat of Jamie’s beat up truck. It’s comforting, familiar, and Tyler knows that he’s in his element. He chuckles as Jordie’s voice carries over the radio, screaming along as “Cherry Bomb” plays in the background. It’s all so familiar that Tyler’s chest almost aches with it.

“So…” Jamie starts and trails off, and Tyler fights the urge to roll his eyes.

“So?”

Jamie stares out the window at the sky. “Did you meet her at the station?”

“Are we really doing this?”

“I was just asking!” Jamie snaps.

“I don’t want to fight.”

“I’m not fighting, I’m asking. I’m being perfectly nice, Segs.”

“I don’t want to fight,” Tyler repeats, and Jamie sighs.

“She seems nice.”

“She  _ is _ nice. She’s very nice. I’m very happy.”

“That’s nice.”

“Shut up,” Tyler snaps, and Jamie grows quiet until Tyler sighs. “We didn’t meet at the station. She’s a…therapist.”

“Oh,” Jamie replies after a long moment, and Tyler should expect it, but he still groans when Jamie asks, “Yours?”

“Oh, my god.” Tyler throws his hands up. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?”

“What? I’m not saying you  _ need _ therapy, but-“

“You’re not  _ not _ saying that I need therapy, asshole.”

“Segs-“

“ _ No _ , she’s not my therapist, for God’s sake. What could I possibly need therapy for?”

“Do you really want me to answer that question?”

“Yes!” Tyler snaps, and immediately regrets it.

“I don’t know, um, inability to finish things? Rushing into a commitment you’re not ready for?”

“Commitment? You think I’m not committed?”

“You asked me!”

“That is bullshit!” Tyler snaps. “I may have walked out, but at least I showed up in the first place! You never-“

“Segs-“

“I asked, I  _ begged _ Jamie-“

“Uh, the road-“

“All you’ve ever cared about was work, the goal, you have no idea what marriage  _ means _ -“

“Can I drive?” Jamie asks, and Tyler fights the urge to scream.

“What? No!”

“Then will you?” Jamie gestures to the road, and it’s then that Tyler realizes they’ve drifted off the road, a tractor parked directly in front of them.

“Son of a bitch!” He swerves back onto the road, his heart beating out of his chest.

“You know what?” Jamie begins, once they’re back on the road. “As long as you’re happy.”

“Thank you! I am happy, I am very happy with…with…”

“Miranda,” Jamie supplies.

“Yes, Miranda! I know her name. I’m marrying her. Because we’re very happy and in love.”

“Good for you.”

“Damn fucking right.”

“Uh, guys?” A new voice fills the cab, and it takes a moment for Tyler to recognize the other Jamie’s deep voice. “You about done?”

“What?” Tyler snaps into the radio.

“Just wondering if we’re going to chase this tornado or if you just want to catch the next one.”

“What?” Jamie’s head whips around, and sure enough through the window Tyler can see the twister forming.

“Shit.” Jamie scrambles for the radio. “Rig, is it on the ground?”

Tyler focuses on the road as Jamie discusses the storm’s trajectory with Rig and Dickie. He watches as the tornado coalesces and touches the ground. Tyler snatches the radio out of Jamie’s hands and clicks it on.

“Okay, we’re going to intercept. Y’all hang back and get set up.”

“You got it, Boss,” Rads’ voice rings out, and Tyler watches Jamie roll his eyes as he murmurs  _ he’s not the boss _ .

“You have to get in front of it,” Jamie grumbles, and it’s Tyler’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Yes, thank you, I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you?”

He slams the gas, and there’s no one else on the road but he can’t seem to get ahead of it.

“There!” Jamie exclaims, pointing to an irrigation ditch.

“Seriously?” Tyler groans.

“Lost your nerve?”

“Shut up.” Tyler reaches across the cab and tightens Jamie’s seatbelt, which gets him a wide-eyed response. “Hold on, sweetheart.”

Jamie nods as Tyler twists the wheel and points Jamie’s beat-up piece of shit truck into the ditch.

“Chubbs, Segs, where are y’all?” Jordie’s voice sounds over the radio. “We lost you guys.”

Tyler groans as they hit another hole in the ditch, throwing them around the cab.

“This is fun, this was a  _ great _ idea, way to go Dr. Benn.”

“We have to get out of here.”

“Yeah, no shit.” Tyler tries again to get the truck out of the ditch, but the sides are too steep to get them up without risking flipping the truck.

“Tyler, sometime this week would be great!” Jamie snaps.

“I’m trying! This was your terrible fucking idea!”

“Jamie! It’s coming toward you!” Jordie’s voice calls out, and Tyler turns his head just in time to see the tornado change direction, destroying a barn in the distance as it heads straight toward them.

“Shit.”

“Jamie, it’s not going to work! Get out of there!” Jordie practically screams into the radio. “Jamie!”

“Ty! Ty, look out!” Jamie’s voice has Tyler looking back ahead just in time to see a small, low-hanging bridge ahead of them.

“Oh, fuck!” He slams on the brakes and they skid through the mud. There’s not enough time, and he braces himself as Jamie does the same and the truck slams into the bridge. “You okay?” Jamie nods and they scramble out of the cab.

“We can still do this,” Jamie tells him as he scrambles up into the bed of the truck where the first STARS unit is waiting. “Let’s get her set up.”

“Why can’t we spend a normal day together?” Tyler grumbles, goes to follow Jamie, then catches sight of the twister out of the corner of his eye. It’s moving faster than it was before, headed straight for them.

“Jamie, come on, there’s no time, it’s picking up speed.” He reaches up and tugs on the hem of his shirt, but Jamie swats his hand away.

“No, we can still make it work.”

“Not if we’re dead!” Tyler snaps, and this time he snags Jamie’s belt loop and pulls until he practically falls in his arms. “We’ve got to take cover.”

Tyler would sag with relief when Jamie relents, if they had time. Instead, he wraps an arm around Jamie’s waist and pulls him toward the overpass. There’s a study enough looking pillar in the middle, and he practically throws Jamie toward it before wrapping himself around Jamie and the pillar.

“Hold on!” He manages to scream before the twister makes talking impossible. He grips the pillar as hard as he can and tucks his face into the crook of Jamie’s neck as pure chaos swirls around them. It’s terrifying, but Tyler still has to fight the urge to look up, to see if what he’s imagined the middle of a tornado to look like is actually true. The urge to protect himself and Jamie is overwhelming, however, and instead he clings to Jamie and the pillar as the twister whirls around them.

Just as quickly as it arrived, the noise around them dissipates, though Tyler continues to hold Jamie against the pillar.

“It’s gone,” Jamie murmurs, and Tyler lets him go. “It’s over.”

“Yeah. You okay?”

“I think so. You?” Tyler nods and lets Jamie help pull him out of the ditch and onto the road. The caravan nears them, Rig and Dickie leading the group. They come to a stop where Jamie and Tyler are standing, Jamie turning in circles.

“Where’s my truck?” he asks, and Tyler looks down to the ditch to find his vehicle missing.

“Uh…” He starts, only to be interrupted by the sound of tires screeching, metal crunching, and glass breaking. He whips his head around to find his brand-new truck fishtailing across the road, Miranda looking absolutely terrified as she swerves away from Jamie’s upside-down truck that must have landed in front of her. She and the truck come to a stop a moment later on the other side of the truck.

“Oh, there it is,” Jamie supplies, and he sounds so smug that Tyler suddenly wants to punch him. Instead, he rushes toward the truck, Dickie and Jordie quick on his heels.

“Miranda!” He calls as she stumbles out of the truck. He pulls her into his arms, feeling her shake against him. “Baby, are you okay?”

“That was…” Dickie begins, but Jordie rushes up behind him.

“ _ Awesome _ !” He supplies. “You completely missed a flying fucking truck!”

“Tyler,” Miranda whimpers against him.

“It’s okay baby, you did great. You’re okay.”

Miranda pulls away from him after a long moment and must take in his muddy and disheveled appearance. “What happened to you?”

“Nothing, we’re fine. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” she nods. Jamie walks up then, Rads and Guri beside him as they survey the wreckage of Jamie’s truck.

“You okay?” He asks toward Miranda, who nods. “It’s trashed, completely wrecked. Fuck.”

“Let me see.” Rads kneels down, picking up a few of the sensors scattered across the road. “Maybe we salvage some.”

“See what you can do.”

“Well, there’s some good news. She did fly.” Jordie chirps, and Tyler watches as Jamie punches him in the shoulder. “What was it like?” The question’s directed at Tyler, but Tyler looks to Jamie.

“It was…windy.”

“Windy,” Jordie parrots with a blank voice. “He says it was windy. My brother, the doctor, everyone.”

“Look,” Esa calls out, and all of their heads turn to find Marchy’s crew rolling by in their sleek matching black and yellow vehicles. Tyler watches as Jordie bounds up to Marchy’s lead vehicle.

“Late again, eh? C’mon, gimme a kiss.” Tyler squawks as Jordie sticks his head through the window and plants one on Pasta, Marchy’s driver, who shoves him out of the window.

“Loser!” He yells out, joined quickly by Rig and Klinger in an echoing chorus or chirps and boos. “Move along! Losers! Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll catch the next one buds.”

“I think we clean most of these, can use again,” Rads tells them, drawing Tyler’s attention away from Marchy’s group. “We’ll get STARS-2 ready.”

“Great,” Jamie mumbles as he kicks in the window of his ruined truck to grab his bag. When he stands back up, he stares at Tyler and Miranda for a long moment.

“You got full coverage on that truck?”

“Liability only.” Tyler squeezes Miranda in tighter, already knowing where this is going.

“It’s a very nice truck.”

“No, absolutely not.” Tyler shakes his head. “It’s not happening.”

~~~

Tyler stares resolutely out the window as they drive down another country highway, Jamie in the passenger seat as Miranda sits in the back, intent on her cell phone. Tyler can just barely see STARS-2 strapped down in the bed of the truck.

“This is the caboose!” Jordie’s voice comes over the radio. “Waiting for orders.”

Tyler instinctively reaches for the radio at the same time Jamie does, their hands tangling together. Tyler chuckles awkwardly and moves his hand away.

“Go ahead.”

“No, it’s your truck.”

“Just go, Jamie, this is your operation.” Jamie watches him for a moment before grabbing the radio. He reaches for the radio and clicks it on.

“According to Dickie and Rig, the battle zone should be about twenty miles east of here.”

“Battle zone?” Miranda leans forward, head popping up between them. “What does that mean?”

“We’re going again,” Tyler tells her, and Miranda shakes her head.

“What? But you almost died last time!”

“Nah, just a close call.”

“Klinger?” Jamie asks into the radio.

“You’re going to cross the interstate up ahead, and then go east on the 63,” Klinger’s accented voice comes over the speaker.

“Alright. Let’s get it.” Cheers can be heard over the radio, and Tyler can’t help but smile. They travel down the highway in silence, until Jamie draws attention to a familiar caravan coming up alongside them.

“Your buddy’s back.” Tyler watches as Marchy pulls ahead and flips him off for good measure. He looks away and toward the tornado forming. He stares until he slams the brakes. Jamie braces against the dashboard and Miranda gets thrown against the backseat.

“What the hell?’ Jamie snaps, and Tyler gestures up to the sky.

“Look at the updraft, the angle. It’s going to change its track.”

“Are you sure?” Jamie asks, and Tyler nods.

“Oh, yeah. It’s a sidewinder.”

“Is that bad?” Miranda asks, and Tyler ignores her.

“Wasn’t there a road back there?” He asks Jamie.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right. Go, go, go.”

Tyler throws the truck into reverse, the tires squealing as he whips the truck around and in the direction of the small dirt road they’d passed. It’s bumpy, and he sees Miranda frown as she gets tossed around.

“We’re close,” he tells Jamie, who nods and picks up the radio.

“Klinger, tell us where we are. Where does this road take us?”

“On it,” Klinger’s voice rings out.

“Rads, we’ve gotta get ahead of this. What is the satellite saying?”

“Is shifting south,” Rads informs them. “F2, possibly F3. Very large.”

“It’s turning!” Dickie’s voice interrupts. “Highly unstable, repeat we’ve got a highly unstable system.”

“Chubbs, it’s not hanging around long,” Jordie comes next, and Tyler grimaces as he watches the twister.

“We see it,” Jamie replies, leaning over into Tyler’s space so he can look out the driver’s side window. “You all hang back, we’re going in.”

Tyler sees the caravan slow from the rearview window. Jamie moves to grab the camera he brought with him when his eyes snap back to the window. Tyler follows his gaze and feels his stomach drop.

“Rain bands.”

“What’s that?” Miranda asks.

“Horizontal rain, shit fuck.” Tyler floors the gas as they approach a long, narrow bridge going over a lake. The tornado has moved onto the lake, sucking up water, and Tyler pushes harder on the gas pedal despite knowing they can’t go any faster. He glances quickly at Miranda in the backseat, worry evident in her eyes, and then over to Jamie. Jamie, who is watching the storm, and if Tyler didn’t know him better than anyone in this world, he might miss the fear on his features.

“Ty, I’ve never seen it clouded like this.”

“I don’t think anyone has,” Tyler admits. “Hang on.”

“We’re in the core.” Jamie’s voice is flat, devoid of emotion, and it feels so  _ wrong _ to Tyler that it’s like ice down his spine. Jamie’s eyes go wide, and Tyler turns back toward the twister to see that it’s split into two separate cyclones.

“We’ve got sisters,” Tyler mutters, and Jamie nods.

“We can’t attack this thing from the south, we’re going to get rolled.” Tyler wants to reply with ‘watch me,’ but instead he grits his teeth and nods. Jamie’s right, it’s more important at this point that they get out of here in one piece.

“Cow,” Miranda points out, pointing at the windshield as a dairy cow flies in front of them.

“Oh, shit.” Tyler mutters. A moment later, a cow drifts through the air again. “Another cow.”

“Actually, I think that’s the same one.” Jamie tells him, just in time to watch one of the sisters to split again, three twisters swirling around them. “Segs, get us out of here!”

“I’m trying!” Tyler snaps, looking over his shoulder at Miranda. “Hold on, babe.”

Tyler slams on the brakes, throwing them all forward as the cyclones swirl around them.

“Tyler!” Miranda screams, but none of them can do anything but hold on as the truck spins and rocks. Tyler spares a glance over at Jamie, gripping the handle above the door as he presses himself into the seat. His eyes meet Tyler’s, and for a second, he forgets where they are, forgets that Miranda’s there, just has an overwhelming need to protect  _ Jamie _ .

The three twisters swirl closer to them, and Tyler reaches a hand across the seat to find Jamie’s waiting for him. He tangles their fingers together, squeezing, and it feels so familiar that Tyler’s sure his heart would be aching if it wasn’t currently lodged in his throat.

Just as quickly as they’d arrived, however, the cyclones elevate back into the sky and they’re gone, leaving only silence in their wake. He throws himself out of the truck, hears Jamie doing the same, and they meet in the middle, throwing their arms around each other.

“Oh, my god!” Tyler screams, letting Jamie throw him around. “That was incredible!”

“Amazing!” Jamie agrees, still gripping Tyler’s waist. “Holy shit.”

Tyler turns from the sky to Jamie. He stares, and Jamie stares right back, until he hears Miranda whimpering behind him.

“Babe.” He turns, and finds tears making their way down Miranda’s cheeks where she stands next to the truck. “Babe, are you okay?”

He can hear the rest of the team coming up the road, and watches as Jamie bounds up to Jordie’s truck.

“Did you fucking  _ see _ that?” He yells, and Jordie pulls him into a hug.

“I am not okay.” Miranda whimpers, gripping Tyler’s arms and pulling his attention back to her. “None of this is okay.”

“Oh, babe, I’m sorry.” Tyler tugs until Miranda falls into his arms, tucking her head under his chin.

“I know you said you used to be a stormchaser, but I always thought it was just a metaphor, you know?”

“I, uh…” Big Rig calls out from where he and Dickie are standing next to their van. “I’m thinking it might be a good idea to get out of here. That was a lot of tornadoes.”

“I’m sorry.” Tyler turns back to Miranda as the team discusses their next move. “I threw you into this without thinking about what it would be like for you.”

“It’s just...you do this for fun?” Miranda shakes her head and clings to Tyler even more. 

“Not fun, really. I mean, it’s exciting, but it’s for the science. This is the only way to study tornadoes the way we need to.”

“I just want to be back in Dallas, safe with you.” She tells him, and Tyler drops a kiss on her head. 

“Soon, I promise.”

“Klinger and I couldn’t help but notice that we’re not too far from Victoria,” Esa chimes in, and Tyler feels a smile grow on his face as Jordie rolls his eyes.

“No.” Jordie shakes his head, pulling away from where he’s still got an arm around Jamie’s shoulders.

“Aw, come on, Jessi wouldn’t mind a pit stop, eh?” Dickie supplies.

“We crave sustenance!” Rads calls out, and Tyler knows the battle is already lost, even if Jordie’s not willing to admit defeat.

“No, we are not invading my house and bullying my wife into cooking for you animals.”

“Food!” Jamie grins, elbowing his brother as the rest of the team chimes in, echoing the sentiment.

“We are absolutely  _ not _ going!” Jordie snaps and throws open the door to his bus.

~~~

The Benn house looks just like it always has as Tyler pulls the truck up in front. A typical Texas farmhouse, two-story and whitewashed, with knickknacks and little touches that make it look lived-in, well-loved. It settles something in Tyler, a feeling like home that has him smiling as he helps Miranda out of the truck. He watches as Jessi steps out onto the front porch, makes her way down to the steps and waits for her husband to approach.

Jordie bounds out of his bus, the smile growing on his face with every step he takes up toward the house. Jessi drops her arms on instinct and lets herself be pulled into Jordie’s arms. He presses a kiss to Jessi’s cheek as he pulls away that has Jessi blushing and leaning into his arms. He can tell when she notices Tyler, her eyes widening before narrowing and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hey, Jessi.” Tyler waves with the hand not wrapped around Miranda’s. Jessi watches him, doesn’t say anything until he and Miranda are only a few feet away.

“You know,” She starts, a frown on his face as she looks Tyler up and down. “I was just telling Jamie the other day…how much I’ve missed you.”

She smiles then, opens up her arms, and Tyler lets go of Miranda to return the hug.

“Good to see you.” Jessi tells him, voice low.

“You too.” Tyler returns as he pulls away. “Uh, Jessi, this is Miranda, my fiancé. Ran, this is Jessi, Jordie’s wife.”

“Nice to meet you.” She says with a smile, and Jessi takes the hand that she extends.

“You too.” Jessi seems genuine, and Tyler smiles.

“Jessica!” Rads calls out, elbowing his way past Tyler and Miranda to pull the woman into a hug.

“I can guess what you’re all here for,” she announces once Rads lets her go, and nods toward the house in invitation.

“No, in severe lightning storm you want to grab your ankles and stick your ass in the air.”

Tyler feels his eyebrow rise as he sits down, staring at Klinger as he speaks.

“I’d like to get hit by lightning once, see what it like,” Guri replies, grinning around a bit of food.

“Of course you would,” Jordie retorts as he steps into the dining room, a giant serving platter in his hands. “Move, move, move.” He tells Miranda, who leans into Tyler’s side while Jordie plops down a giant steak in front of her.

“Uh, actually, Miranda’s a vegetarian.” Tyler supplies, and Jordie frowns.

“Oh. Huh.” He says, then turns to serve Rads.

“God, Jessi, where’d you get all this beef?” Dickie calls out toward the kitchen, and Jessi appears a moment later with a bowl of salad.

“Did you see my cows out front?” She asks, and Dickie shakes his head. Jessi shrugs, and the table erupts into laughter.

“You okay, babe?” He asks Miranda, who looks lost but eventually shrugs.

“Why are we watching this shit?” Jamie groans as he settles into a seat across from Tyler, gesturing to where Marchy is prattling on to a news reporter.

“He really is in love with himself.” Tyler rolls his eyes. “I thought it was just a summer thing.”

“He’s going to rue the day he crossed the Extreme, bud.” Jordie chuckles, and the rest of the table rumbles in agreement. “Imminent rueage.”

“I’ve been wondering, why do y’all call Tyler the Extreme?” Big Rig and Rads slam their hands on the table, causing Miranda to jump in her seat.

“Because Seggy is the Extreme!” Jordie throws his arms out wide, as if that explains it.

“He’s the most out of control son of a bitch in the game,” Dickie supplies, and Tyler shakes his head.

“No, I think I came in second on that.” He flicks his gaze over to Jamie, who’s staring down at the table.

“So, we catch this storm near Dalton-“

“Oh, god.” Tyler throws his head back and stares at the ceiling. “You guys need to get some new stories.”

“We’re way too close, and Chubbs is filming it, and all of a sudden out of nowhere this loser pulls up, right in the way, bottle of Jack in his hand.” Jordie howls, clutching his chest.

“He’s naked-“ Big Rig supplies.

“ _Butt_ _naked_.” Dickie continues.

“I was  _ not _ naked.” Tyler corrects, shaking his head at Miranda.

“Naked.” Jordie replies.

“There was an artfully placed rubber ducky.” Big Rig tells them, and Tyler regrets ever meeting these people.

“He was without apparel.” Klinger calls from the other end of the table.

“Half naked.” Tyler concedes, and looks to Jamie for help.

Jamie shrugs. “He was naked.”

“So, Jamie’s yelling at him to get out of the way,” Jordie continues, his body shaking with laughter as he leans into Jessi’s side. “And he just walks up to the twister and says ‘there’s only steers and queers in Texas, and I’m not a cow!’ and chucks the bottle of Jack toward the twister!”

“Ran, honey, this is nothing but lies.” Tyler wraps an arm around her shoulder as she looks at him in disbelief. “See, there was another Tyler, an evil Tyler – Segs, they called him – and…well, I killed him.”

They’re done eating, cups of coffee in front of them, when they start discussing the most recent tornado.

“Large twister.” Rads muses. “What you think, F3?”

“Nah, solid F2.” Jordie shakes his head.

“You’ve lost me again.” Miranda replies with a chuckle. “What’s an F2?”

“It’s the Fujita scale. It measures the intensity of a tornado by how much it destroys,” Tyler tells her.

“The little fucker you got caught up in back there was a strong F2, maybe F3.” Dickie chimes in.

“Bet we see some F4s today,” Rig replies and reaches out a fist for Dickie to bump.

“4 is good.” Tyler nods, turning toward Miranda. “F4 will relocate your house pretty efficiently.”

“Is there an F5?” She asks, and Tyler tenses. “What would that be like?”

Tyler turns to look at Jamie, who’s standing up from his chair.

“I’m going to take a shower.” He mumbles, and Tyler watches him go as the group grows deathly silent. Jordie gets up almost immediately, Jessi following close behind.

“Did I say something wrong?” Miranda asks, and Tyler reaches to grip her hand.

“No, of course not.” He presses a kiss to the side of her head. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

He pushes away from the table and hears Rig’s voice low and serious as he leans into Miranda’s space.

“Jamie and Jordie are the only ones who have seen an F5, killed both of their parents…”

His voice fades out as Tyler takes the stairs to the second floor, just catching Jessi pulling Jordie into their bedroom. He can’t hear the water running in the bathroom, so he moves toward the room he used to share with Jamie, knocking gently. There’s no answer, and Tyler pushes the door open to find Jamie standing in the middle of the room, clean shirt in hand.

“Hey,” Tyler says gently, closing the door behind him.

“What are you doing up here, Tyler?” Jamie sounds tired, more exhausted than he’s sounded all day.

“I just…wanted to make sure that you were okay.”

Jamie’s laugh is dark and rough as he shakes his head. “Not really your job to worry about me anymore.”

“Just because we’re getting a…a divorce, doesn’t mean that I don’t care anymore. Loving each other was never our problem.”

“No,” Jamie admits.

“Look, I’ll go, I just wanted to say that Miranda didn’t mean to…she didn’t know.”

“I know. I just…”

“I get it,” Tyler concedes. “Look, we’ll make STARS fly today. We’ll do it, and then we can both…move on.”

“Sure.”

“Okay, well, I’ll leave you to it.” Tyler wants to reach out, rest his hand on Jamie’s shoulder, but instead he turns back toward the door and heads back downstairs.

~~~

“We’ve got one!” Guri’s voice sounds through the house as he comes running through. “F3, forming just outside of Kingston!”

“Let’s go!” Jamie yells out as he takes the stairs two at a time. Jordie tosses his jacket at his brother as he leans in to kiss his wife quickly.

“Babe, you ride with Jordie.” Tyler tells Miranda, who nods uncertainly and turns to Jessi.

“Well, Jessi, it was lovely to meet you.”

“You too.” Jessi replies, a smirk on her face. “You’re going to get left behind. You better run.”

Tyler jumps into the passenger seat of the truck, not even fighting when Jamie grabs the keys. He grabs the radio as Jamie peels out of the driveway.

“Lindy, do we know where Marchy is?”

“Yes, thirty miles from it.”

“Can we beat him?”

“Working on it.” Esa cuts out. A few minutes later, as they’re turning onto the main highway that will take them out of Victoria, he comes back with a shortcut that will put them on the north side of the storm.

“Are you sure?” Tyler asks.

“Trust us.” Klinger’s voice calls out. “Klinger is good, Klinger is wise.”

“Klinger needs to stop talking about himself in the third person.” Esa snaps, having clearly taken the radio back from his partner. “And stop taking credit for my navigational skills.”

“I taught you everything you know!”

“Take the next left.” Esa instructs them, and Jamie looks skeptical but turns.

“Jesus Christ…” Jamie grumbles as they’re jostled around the cab.

“This is a field, Esa!” Tyler complains.

“Keep going!” Esa insists. “It will be right on the other side.”

“ _ What _ is on the other side?” Tyler questions.

“The other side of what?” Tyler groans and lets Jamie grab the radio out of his hand.

“The other side of the  _ field _ , Lindy! What’s on the other side of the  _ field _ ?”

“Oh! The highway, it’s the highway.”

“Gre –  _ fuck _ !” Jamie slams the brakes and twists the wheel as the highway appears out of nowhere. Marchy’s caravan is already on the road, and Jamie only narrowly misses slamming into them.

“You’re insane, Benn!” Marchy’s voice comes over the radio “What are you trying to do, get somebody killed?”

Tyler scrambles for the handset, practically climbing into Jamie’s lap – both to reach for where he’d dropped it and to get a good look at Marchy.

“Oh, yeah, because you’re so fucking considerate! See ten people stranded on the side of the road and just keep on driving. Shut the fuck up you fucking rat-faced-“

“Okay.” Jamie grabs the radio and shoves at Tyler until he moves back into his own seat. They watch as Marchy and his team continue down the road.

“Douchebag.” Tyler mutters, glaring as if he could blow up their tires with just his thoughts.

“We need to get off of this highway.” Jamie tells him, and Tyler rolls his eyes.

“Just because you don’t want to be on the same trajectory as March-“

“It’s not that. Look.” Jamie gestures up at the sky, an eerie mix of gray and green, and Tyler studies it.

“You’re right.” He nods. “Take a right here.”

“You sure?” Jamie asks, and Tyler just raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, okay.”

“We’ve got a touchdown!” Dickie’s voice comes over the radio. “Tornado on the ground!”

“Where is it?” Tyler asks.

“Coming down Route 82.”

“We’re on 82,” Jamie confirms.

“What’s the path?” The radio is silent for a moment before Dickie comes back on.

“It’s going about thirty-five miles per hour.”

“I don’t see anything.” Jordie’s voice calls out. “Where are you guys looking?”

“Direction, Dickie!”

“Uh…”

“I’ve got nothing.” Rads chimes in, Klinger echoing a second later.

“Jason!” Tyler snaps.

“North! Northeast!” Dickie replies.

“Do you see it?” Jamie asks, and Tyler shakes his head.

“She’s gone vertical!” Dickie interrupts. “Fuck, she’s gaining strength.”

“She’s coming right for us.” Jamie mutters.

“Radar’s saying base is at least half mile wide.” Rads informs them.

“Where the fuck is this thing?” Tyler asks. “Dickie?”

“It should be coming right over that hill in a matter of minutes.”

“Maybe it’s stalled.” Tyler guesses, and Jamie hums.

“No, I think Dickie’s right. I think she’s going to show her ugly mug right over that hill.” Jamie’s face is serious when he glances at Tyler. “What do you think?”

“Let’s go for it.” Tyler unbuckles and clicks the handset. “Guys, let’s do this!”

There’s a chorus of cheers as Tyler slides the back window of the truck open, the caravan slowing as Jamie and Tyler leave them behind.

“We’ve got hail.” Jamie informs the team a few minutes later over the radio as the chunks of ice begin to pelt the truck. “Ty, be careful.”

Tyler’s immediately hit, and he grits his teeth as he moves around the bed of the truck. He begins the process of turning STARS-2 on, but he’s knocked to the floor by a piece of hail the size of a softball.

“Fuck.” He groans, pulling his hand away from the side of his head to find blood on his fingers.

“Are you okay?” Jamie calls through the window, and Tyler feels the truck slow down.

“I’m fine, keep going!” Tyler scrambles back to his feet, finishes getting the unit set up, and climbs back into the cab of the truck.

“Darth, are you getting this? We’re not leaving until we’ve got it.” Jamie asks.

“You’re all fucking crazy!” Miranda’s voice comes over the radio, muffled. “And the one with  _ my _ fiancé? He’s the craziest one of you all!”

Tyler chances a glance over at Jamie, just in time to see a small fishing boat fly by them.

“Okay, this is close enough!”

“No, we just need to get a little bit closer.” Jamie ignores him.

“Jamie, this is enough!” Tyler braces himself as they run over a bicycle. Jamie slams on the brakes and breathes heavy as they come to a stop.

“Yeah, close enough.”

They both climb out of the truck and Jamie throws open the tailgate. They struggle to pull STARS-2 out of the truck, the wind gusts throwing them repeatedly against the vehicle.

“It’s not going to work.” Tyler admits. “C’mon, we need to get out of here  _ now _ .”

“No!” Jamie yells, and yanks again as the unit finally comes loose. Tyler helps him settle it on the road and then practically pushes Jamie back into the truck, taking the wheel this time. He backs them up enough that they can watch as the twister approaches STARS-2. Tyler feels hope bubble in his chest, only to feel it all dissipate just as quickly as a tree falls on the unit, sending it toppling over. The sensors spread out over the road, and Tyler looks to see Jamie’s devastated face.

“Jam-“

“No.” Jamie throws the door open, and Tyler races to follow him out onto the road.

“Jamie, no! We need to go, come on!”

Suddenly, there’s silence as the tornado disappears.

“Where did it go?” Jamie asks, his eyes scanning the sky. “It’s gone.”

“No, it’s not.” Tyler grabs Jamie’s arm, pulling him back toward the truck. “It’s backbuilding. We need to get out of here.”

“Dickie and Rig will let us know if it’s going to drop near us.” Jamie argues.

“It’s not going to drop  _ near _ us, Jamie, it’s going to drop  _ on  _ us!” He pulls harder, and practically throws Jamie back into the truck as the twister drops again.

He throws himself on top of Jamie, slamming the door behind them and praying the tornado doesn’t pick them up. A few moments later, it’s silent again, and Tyler looks up to see that the twister is gone again. Jamie shoves him off and climbs back out of the truck, scrambling to pick up the scattered sensors.

“Help me!” Jamie pleads.

“Jamie, we should leave.”

“No! Help me pick these up.”

“Forget the sensors, we need to get out of here!” Tyler tries to pull Jamie toward the truck again as the sky opens up above them, drenching them. “Jamie, please.”

“Help me!”

“What the hell, Jamie? What’s wrong with you?” He gets no response and he fights the urge to pull his hair out. “Jamie, the pack’s wasted. It’s over.”

“We can still do this!”

“Listen to yourself!” Tyler snaps. “You’re obsessed.”

“You’ve never seen it!” Jamie roars, turning on Tyler and looming over him despite only being an inch taller. “You’ve never seen what that thing can do!”

“I just saw-“ Tyler interrupts, only for Jamie to turn away from him, grab at his hair, and pace in front of him.

“You’ve never seen it miss this house, and miss that house, and then come after yours!”

Tyler freezes, takes in Jamie’s wild eyes, his disheveled hair, his heartbroken, lost face.

“Jamie.” Tyler approaches him slowly, his voice soft. “Is that what you think it did?”

Jamie shrugs, hides his face away, and Tyler can’t stop himself from wrapping a hand around Jamie’s wrist.

“You don’t understand.” Jamie tells him, but he doesn’t shake off Tyler’s hand.

“When will it be enough?” Tyler asks, and that does get Jamie to turn away, and Tyler’s hand drops between them. Tyler shakes his head and follows him until they’re standing in front of the truck, rain still pouring down on them.

“Talk to me,” Tyler pleads. “Jamie, sometimes things go wrong. You can’t change it, you can’t go back in time. Killing yourself won’t bring your parents back. I’m sorry it happened, Jame, but that was a long time ago. You’ve got to move on and stop living in the past. You have to see what you’ve got right in front of you.”

“What do I have?” Jamie asks, his voice quiet and careful. Tyler sighs, and feels a burning in his eyes. He can’t tell if the wetness on his face is just the rain.

“Me, Jamie.” He admits, staring at Jamie. “You’ve got me.”

Jamie stares back, breathing heavily, but says nothing and Tyler looks away.

“And Jordie.” He adds, staring at the ground. “And Jessi. And the team. You have people who care about you, Jamie.”

Miranda won’t look at him when they get back to the caravan, just climbs in the truck without a word.

“Hey.” Jordie pulls him away as Jamie gets into his brother’s bus. Jordie looks uncomfortable, a frown hidden beneath his beard. “You should know. Uh, the radio…”

“What about it?”

“It was on, while you and Jamie were…whatever.” Jordie shrugs. “Miranda heard.”

“Fuck.” Tyler digs the toe of his shoe into the dirt.

“Yeah.” Jordie agrees. “Look, Jamie’s my brother. I’ll never love anyone the way that I love him – don’t tell Jessi I said that – and you guys…you were always a lot, but there was always love there, you know?”

“I’m getting married.”

“You’re  _ already _ married,” Jordie points out. “When you left, it broke something in him. I’m just saying, whatever you’re doing, be careful with him. Her, too. She’s a good woman.”

Tyler doesn’t respond, and Jordie walks away.

~~~

They settle for the night at a small motel with a drive-in attached, playing some old horror movie that Tyler doesn’t recognize. He’s sitting on a small bench next to the concession stand when he sees Jamie walking up.

“Can I get eight coffees to go, please?” Jamie asks the cashier, then turns to face Tyler.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about the sensors, the way they scattered out there on the road. I’m wondering if the funnel will carry them like we thought.”

“Too light?” Jamie asks, and Tyler shrugs.

“Maybe. Maybe the whole thing’s too light.”

“What can we do about that?”

“I’m not sure.”

Jamie turns back to take the coffees and drops some cash on the counter. Before Tyler can speak again, Jordie comes running across the parking lot.

“Jamie! Tyler! It’s coming!” He yells as the wind picks up around them. “It’s heading right for us!”

Tyler looks to the dark sky and feels his stomach drop.

“It’s already here.” He tells the brothers. “Get everyone underground now!” He turns toward the hotel and sees Miranda running toward him.

“Tyler!” She screams, and Tyler wraps a hand around hers and tugs her toward the warehouse next to the hotel. He turns and finds Jamie staring at the sky, frozen, and he doesn’t hesitate before pushing her into Big Rig’s arms.

“Jamie!” He yells, practically throwing himself at him and tugging on his arm. “Jamie, come on!”

His voice seems to snap Jamie out of his trance, and he turns toward the concessions building and slams on the glass.

“Get everyone underground! Take cover now!” The cashier and other workers scramble, and Tyler tugs again on Jamie’s arm.

“C’mon Jamie, we have to go!” Jamie lets him pull him along to the warehouse where the rest of the team is taking shelter.

There’s a large pit in the middle of the room, and everyone is huddled together as he practically throws Jamie down the stairs. He briefly spots Miranda pressed between Big Rig and Dickie, and he thinks about going to her when the windows implode, sending glass raining down on them. He feels Jamie’s arms wrap around his waist, pulling until he’s curled around Tyler. Tyler tucks his head into Jamie’s neck instinctively, letting him cover his body with his own as chaos swirls around them. A sharp hissing noise fills the air, and Tyler pulls away from Jamie’s neck long enough to see a water hose flying through the air.

“I’ve got it!” Rads yells, pulling away from the huddle to snatch the hose before it can hit anyone. “Ha!” He crows, only to be silenced a moment later when a hubcap comes off of the wall and flies straight toward him. He stumbles back, practically falls into Tyler and Jamie’s lap, and half a second later the cut along his forehead starts bleeding. Guri slaps his hand over the wound, trying to stem the bleeding, but it pours through his fingers easily.

“My head,” Rads mumbles, and Guri nods.

“It’s okay,” he yells over the storm. “You’re fine!”

“This is insane!” Miranda’s voice carries over. “I can’t do this anymore!”

“It’s almost over!” Dickie promises, and a moment later they’re all frozen as a car rips through the wall of the warehouse, catching on a tangle of wires and hovering only feet above them. Tyler looks to Jamie, who’s already staring straight at him, and Tyler…

Tyler  _ loves _ him.

Has always loved him.

Will always love him.

If this is their last moment, Tyler’s just grateful that he’s going to spend it looking at Jamie.

Just as soon as the storm hits, it’s gone, and silence falls around them. Tyler looks down to where his hand is clutched in Jamie’s, then hears Miranda whimper and he twists his hand out of Jamie’s hold. He retrieves Miranda from Rig and Dickie, and she falls into his arms, clings to his shirt as he guides her up out of the pit and then out of the warehouse.

It’s chaos when they emerge, overturned vehicles and broken glass everywhere, movie screens torn, and people injured.

“Holy shit,” he mutters, and Miranda tugs on his shirt until he looks down.

“Is that what it was like, up on that hill?”

“No, we were lucky. That was just down drafts and microbursts. The twister just sideswept us.”

“Tyler-“ she starts, but is interrupted by Rig calling for him, Jamie, and Jordie.

“I’ll be right back,” he tells her, and he knows Miranda wants to argue, but thankfully she lets him go. When he reaches Rig and Dickie’s van he can see how serious he looks, how frightened Dickie is, leaning into Rig’s side.

“What’s going on?” Jamie asks as he walks up, pointedly not looking at Tyler. “Can you tell which way it’s headed?”

“It’s backing northeast.” Rig tells them, then glances at Jordie. “It looks to hit Victoria head on.”

Tyler looks to Jordie, sees him pale for a moment at the thought of his wife, then his eyes turn hard.

“We’re going,” Jordie orders, already turning toward his bus.

“We’re going!” Jamie yells out, and the team hustles into motion. Rads waves Guri off after he’s finished wrapping his head in bandages, then hustles the intern into helping him load the equipment out of his ruined van and into Guri’s car. Klinger and Esa already have a map spread out between them to determine the quickest route.

“Hey.” Jamie grabs Tyler’s wrist, tugs until he looks at him.

“I’m coming with you.” Tyler replies, pressing his keys into Jamie’s hands. “Just give me two minutes.”

He crosses the parking lot to where a makeshift first aid station has been set up among the ruins of the concession stand. Miranda’s wrapping a young girl’s wrist, talking to her quietly with a comforting smile on her face.

“Hey, babe, I’ve gotta go. It’s Jessi.” Miranda looks over at him, pats the girl on the shoulder, then stands up.

“I’m going back,” she tells him, and Tyler nods.

“That’s good, you stay at the motel. You’ll be safe there. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I won’t be there.” Tyler freezes, looks down at where he’s holding her hand, the diamond on her finger glinting in the light.

“What?” he finally chokes out, and she smiles softly at him.

“I’m saying goodbye, Tyler.”

“No-“

“I can’t compete with this. I can’t compete with  _ him _ .” She laughs wetly, shaking her head. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“We can talk about this-“

“No, we can’t. This was always how it was going to end. You know that, Tyler. For you, it’s always going to be him.”

Tyler looks over his shoulder to where Jamie’s in the driver’s seat of his truck, trying and failing to hide the fact that he’s watching them.

“I never meant for this to happen,” Tyler confesses, and lets Miranda cup his cheek.

“I know,” she tells him. “I’m not even that upset. What does that  _ mean _ ?”

“I-“

“Tyler, we gotta go!” Rig yells.

“You go. I really hope that Jessi is okay.”

“What about you?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me.” Miranda replies, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “I’m a Texas girl, I know my way home.”

Tyler watches for a moment as she walks away, then turns and jogs toward the truck. Jamie peels out of the parking lot as Esa gives directions over the radio.

“We can be in Victoria in an hour.” He tells them, but Tyler knows that it won’t be soon enough.

~~~

When they enter Victoria, the first thing Tyler sees is the ‘Welcome to Victoria’ sign broken almost in half, swinging in the breeze on one hook. The further into town they get, the worse the damage is. It’s slow going, the roads littered with debris and downed power lines. Tyler watches families as they pass by, huddled outside the ruins of their homes, and his heart aches. He looks to Jamie, who’s staring resolutely ahead. He reaches across the seat and grabs Jamie’s hand, threading their fingers together, and turns back out to stare outside before he can catch Jamie’s reaction. Jamie squeezes his hand back.

“They had no warning,” Jamie mumbles. They turn onto what’s left of the Benn house’s street, and finds their beautiful two-story home compacted into nearly one. “Oh, my god.”

As soon as they’re parked, they fly out of the truck and toward the house. Jordie is just ahead of them, and it takes both of them wrapping their arms around Jordie to stop him.

“Jordie, wait!” Tyler yells.

“No!” He pulls against them. “Jessi!”

Tyler watches as a new face steps in front of them, dressed in an EMT uniform, and Tyler recognizes Tyson Barrie after a moment.

“Jordie, calm down!” Tyson tells him. “You think Jessi is in there?”

“Let me the fuck go!” Jordie curses, and Tyler tightens his grip.

“Okay, okay, Jordie. We’ll get her out.”

“No,  _ I _ will.” Jordie growls. “You can’t stop me.”

“No, I can’t.” Tyson agrees. “But I can go with you, make sure you don’t get yourself killed. I let you go, you promise to follow my orders, so we can get both of you out safely?”

Tyler’s never been particularly close to Tyson, but he’s been Jamie’s best friend since they were kids, and something in his face makes Jordie relax and nod. Tyler loosens his grip, and Jamie does the same.

“Okay, come on. We’ll enter through the top window and work our way down.” Tyson orders, and Jordie follows him more sedately than he’d been before.

“Jessi?” They hear Jordie’s voice call as they enter the house, and Tyler feels Jamie’s hand slip back into his as they disappear into the house.

“Tyson knows what he’s doing,” Tyler tells him. “They’ll be okay.”

“Yeah,” Jamie replies, voice quiet.

It’s eerily quiet, except for the occasional siren, power line snapping, or Tyson and Jordie calling for Jessi. Tyler doesn’t look away from the house, praying to a god he’s not even sure he believes in that Jessi is alive. He doesn’t think that Jamie and Jordie could handle losing another family member. He’s known Jessi as long as he’s known the Benns, had used Jessi and Jordie’s happy relationship as one of the catalysts for accepting his own feelings for Jamie. Had been there when they’d exchanged vows in the backyard of this very house – and they had been there when he and Jamie had done the same thing a few years later. She’s family, she’s important, and Tyler feels his heart leap into his throat when the house groans and buckles, collapsing on itself even further.

“No!” Jamie yells, taking off for the house, Tyler hot on his heels. He climbs up to the same window Jordie and Tyson had disappeared into, and turns to Tyler. “I’m going in.”

“Jam - yeah, okay. Be careful.” Jamie nods and turns back to the window.

“Jordie? Tyson?”

“We’re okay!” Tyson’s voice calls back, and Tyler sags with relief. “We’ve got Jessi, we’re on our way up.”

An excruciatingly long moment later, Tyson emerges from the window. He helps Jessi out, Jordie holding her up as she climbs through. She’s bruised and bloody, but standing on her own, and Tyler wants to hug her so badly he could cry. The team huddles around them as they climb down, another EMT running up with a stretcher.

“How about some steak and eggs?” Rig jokes as he helps Jordie get Jessi down off the ruins of the house.

“Nice of you all to come and visit, even if I feel like I just saw your ugly mugs,” Jessi retorts, and Tyler can tell it’s only with great reluctance that she lets them put her down on the stretcher. “Oh, Segs, can you get Cash for me? I think he’s a little shaken up.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Tyler turns toward the house and calls out for the Benn family’s dog, still somewhere inside the house. Tyler’s set to climb into the house when he spots Cash’s black head in the window, and he slowly coaxes him out. He’s got the lab in his arms when he makes his way back to the ambulance, where Jordie is arguing with Jessi.

“You have to go to the hospital and get checked out!” Jordie snaps, and Jessi rolls her eyes.

“Okay, fine, but I’m going to drive myself.”

“Baby,” Jordie sighs, wrapping a hand around the back of Jessi’s head. “Your car is in a tree around the corner.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.”

Jessi reaches up to scritch Cash behind the ears, but they all jump and turn at a crashing sound, just in time to see the house collapse the rest of the way.

“Well, fuck.” Jessi grumbles, laying back on the stretcher.

“How is she?” Jordie asks Tyson, who’s placing a brace on Jessi’s wrist.

“A bump on the head, maybe a broken wrist. I think she’ll be okay, but with the head injury we need to take her in and have her checked out.”

“I’m  _ fine _ ,” Jessi insists.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” Jordie mumbles. Something in Jessi’s face shifts, turns soft as she reaches up with her uninjured hand to run the backs of her fingers along Jordie’s cheek. “Stop blaming yourself. You got me out of the house.”

“Still, I-“

“This has to  _ stop _ ,” Jessi interrupts him, her face turning fierce in a flash. “We didn’t have any warning. The sirens went off a few seconds before it hit, there was no  _ time _ .”

“Uh, Chubbs?” Rads interrupts, and pulls Tyler’s attention away from the couple. “I don’t know if you want to know, but radio say…well, NSSL is predicting F5 from this storm.”

“Go,” Jessi tells them. “This will happen to someone else. You all can stop it.”

Tyler looks to Jamie, who’s staring at Jessi with wet, wide eyes. “I don’t know how,” he says, and Jessi shakes her head. “You do. You’ve been chasing these things as long as I’ve known you. It’s what you do, so go do it.”

Jamie nods and wanders off, staring at the ruins of their house.

“Go with her,” Tyler tells Jordie. “Guri can handle your stuff.”

“You sure?” Jordie asks, and shifts his gaze to Jamie.

“I’ll take care of him,” Tyler promises.

“I know you will.”

Tyler watches as the ambulance drives away, then turns back to find Jamie. He’s close to the ruins of the house, staring at one of the metal wind sculptures that Jessi made. It’s still intact, swirling around as the sound of wind chimes fills the air.

“Jamie? You okay?” He doesn’t get a response, and chooses to follow Jamie’s gaze back to the sculpture. “What is it?”

“I know how to make STARS fly.” He finally says, still staring at the sculpture, and Tyler racks his brain until it  _ clicks _ .

“Oh, fuck yes.”

“All right!” Jamie yells, and the team snaps to attention. “We need every aluminum can that you can find.”

“We need cutters and duct tape.” Tyler adds, then turns to Dickie and Rig. “I want y’all to strap the last two STARS in the back of my truck, then I want everyone working on the sensors.”

“You got it, boss.” Rig responds. “We’re fucking doing this.”

~~~

The sun is just starting to rise as they fly across the flat Texas highway. Jamie looks determined in the passenger seat as Tyler watches cars whiz by in the opposite direction, a huge tornado in the distance.

“Rig, you ready for us?”

“Yeah, we’re good!”

“Alright, let’s go,” Jamie orders, and the caravan slows to a stop on the highway. They all pour out of their remaining vehicles, boxes of the modified sensors in their arms. The sensors are now winged, stripped and cut soda cans now the key that will make STARS work. Tyler watches as they pour the sensors into STARS-3 and STARS-4, their last hopes of making this work.

“Be careful, alright?” Dickie tells Tyler as they slam the units shut and climb off of the truck.

“Don’t follow too close,” Jamie warns, and their team nods.

“About a mile further?” Jamie asks as they climb back in the truck.

“Yeah, sounds good,” Tyler nods. “I figure we’ll put it in the middle of the road.”

“You don’t think someone will hit it?”

“Nobody will be there.” Tyler replies with a blank look.

They pull to a stop, and Tyler can see the monstrous tornado weaving its way through the fields, destroying everything in its path. It’s unlike anything Tyler’s ever seen, and he can’t help but think of Jamie as a child, hunkering down in a storm cellar with Jordie and Jenny, knowing a monster like this twister had killed their parents.

“Let’s go,” he tells Jamie, climbing out of the truck and into the bed so he can unhook STARS-3. He and Jamie yank it down and drag it to the middle of the road. Jamie flips the switches and the unit comes to life.

“Good?” He asks, and Jamie nods. They jog back to the truck and Tyler throws it in reverse, backing away as far as they can where they’ll still be able to see STARS-3. They watch as the tornado nears, and STARS-3 rocks, tipping from side to side.

“It’s too light.”

“No, it’s not.” Jamie snaps, eyes never leaving the unit.

“It’s not going to work.”

They watch as the unit is pushed across the road, still swaying from side to side. 

“We’re losing it, fuck.” Tyler curses.

“She can still fly,” Jamie argues, and Tyler fights the urge to roll his eyes. Tyler freezes as an uprooted tree flies across the highway, knocking STARS-3 over and sending the sensors scattering across the asphalt. At the same moment, Tyler sees the tornado shift, changing course straight toward them.

“Get us out of here!” Jamie yells, just as the same tree that tossed STARS-3 lands underneath the truck, tilting the vehicle. “Tyler!”

“I can’t, we’re stuck!” Tyler guns the gas but they don’t move at all. “Fuck!”

“Tyler…” Jamie’s voice is quiet, tense, and it pulls Tyler’s attention. “What is that?”

Tyler follows Jamie’s finger to where there’s something large and metal flying in the tornado.

“Tyler, hurry the fuck up.”

“This is not good.” Tyler grumbles, slamming the gas again.

“That’s a fucking tanker truck,” Jamie tells him, and Tyler throws his entire body weight onto the gas pedal. “Tyler, now!”

“I’m trying!” Tyler snaps back, and suddenly the truck comes free as the tanker gets tossed from the cyclone and comes straight toward them. Tyler keeps his foot on the gas as he sees Jamie tense from the passenger seat.

Tyler doesn’t hesitate as the tanker slams to the ground, exploding in a ball of flame that Tyler has no choice but to drive through. There’s nothing but heat and flames for a long moment, but miraculously they come through on the other side as the tornado shifts again, heading away from them.

“Holy shit,” Tyler gasps, pulling to a stop. Jamie’s breathing heavily next to him, and when Tyler looks over, he’s staring straight at Tyler.

“I really fucking love you,” Jamie tells him.

“Yeah.” Tyler nods, taking a deep breath. “Yeah.”

“Holy shit, are you guys okay?” Rig’s voice comes over the radio, and Jamie fumbles with the handset.

“Yeah, we’re okay.”

“Did y’all see that explosion?”

Tyler scoffs, a shaky laugh.

“Yeah, we saw it.” Jamie tells him and clicks the radio off.

“This one is still moving north on 87. Do you copy?” Klinger asks.

“This is it,” Tyler tells Jamie. “Last one.”

“Last chance.” Jamie nods, and Tyler throws the truck back into gear.

They head down the highway, and Tyler sees Marchy’s crew racing toward the tornado from a neighboring road. They’re closer, right in the storm’s path, and Tyler has a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“They have a better position,” Tyler tells Jamie. “They could do it.”

“Not if they don’t anchor the pack.” Jamie looks to Tyler, who nods. It’s more important that it’s  _ done _ , not who does it.

“Marchand,” Jamie says into the radio. “Listen to me, the pack is too light. The twister will toss it before it reaches the core, you have to anchor it.”

“Oh, sharing valuable information, Benn?” Marchy’s voice comes over the radio. “I’ll consider that, thanks.”

“Damn it, listen to me, don’t be an-“ He cuts off as Tyler’s face grows pale. “What is it?”

Tyler grabs the handset out of Jamie’s grip.

“Marchy, what’s your position?”

“Well, Seggy, we are heading northeast running parallel and about to pull ahead. Why?”

“We’ve got a good view from here; you should hang back. She could shift, and if she does, she’ll be coming right at you. Do you copy?” There’s no reply, and Tyler groans. “Marchy, listen to me, this is not-“

“Get off this frequency, Segs!”

“She’s shifting.” Jamie’s voice is fearful.

“Oh, my god.” Tyler watches, and clicks the radio on again. “Pasta, I know you can hear me! Turn around now!” He orders Marchy’s assistant, but gets nothing but radio silence.

Tyler and Jamie watch in silence as a piece of a radio tower is thrown out of the cyclone and into the van. Tyler reaches over and grabs Jamie’s hand as the vehicle is lifted into the tornado and then explodes.

“Goddamn it!” Jamie curses, and Tyler feels his heart ache. Marchy may have been an asshole, but he was also someone Tyler had known for his entire adult life.

“Chubbs, Segs, ground speed is increasing.” Rig’s voice fills the cab. “You gotta get ahead of this thing or it’s going to bury you.”

The closer they get, the worse the debris gets, if you could call flying tractors and road signs debris.

“Maybe we should get off of this road.” Tyler tells him when a tire slams into the windshield.

“I think you may be right.” Jamie agrees, and if Tyler wasn’t a second away from having a heart attack, he would chirp him about admitting that he was right.

They turn off onto a side road, the tornado roaring just a few miles from them.

“God, it has to be at least a mile wide,” Jamie muses.

“Guys, you ready? We’re all set here,” Rig tells them.

“We’re ready,” Jamie replies. “We’re heading in.”

“You ready?” Tyler asks, and Jamie nods. Tyler stops long enough for Jamie to climb out of the cab and turn on STARS-4, then climb back inside.

“Okay, we’re good.”

Tyler starts driving again and turns into a cornfield. He can’t see anything around them except the F5 tornado roaring in front of them.

“Okay, just let me set the cruise control,” Tyler tells Jamie, and when he nods, they both dive out of the truck and into the corn stalks.

Tyler clambers up and meets Jamie halfway, wrapping his arms around Jamie’s waist as they watch the truck continue toward the tornado.

“C’mon, c’mon…” Jamie repeats like a mantra, and Tyler feels Jamie’s arm around his shoulders squeeze him tighter as the truck is picked up and pulled into the cyclone. A heart-stopping moment lapses before STARS-4 opens up, the modified sensors flying into the twister.

“Yes!” Tyler screams, pulling Jamie into him. Jamie’s laughing, disbelief on his face. Tyler stares at him and feels like his heart is too big for his chest. He’d cared about Miranda, he truly had, but it had never touched the hold this man has had on his heart and soul from that first day he had met him at eighteen. Nothing ever will, Tyler’s pretty sure.

“I really fucking love you,” he repeats to Jamie, and the triumphant glee on Jamie’s face turns to something soft, a smile that he’d always had just for Tyler. He reaches up and cups Tyler’s face, and Tyler leans into it, lets him run his thumb gently over the cut on his head from the hail, which seems like a lifetime ago. It was worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears – they’d  _ done it _ , and they’d done it  _ together _ .

Jamie’s attention shifts back to the tornado, and suddenly his eyes grow wide. Tyler’s follows his gaze, and finds the tornado shifting.

“Oh, shit.” He pulls away enough to slip his hand into Jamie’s and tugs. “Run!”

There’s a barn in the distance, and Jamie and Tyler practically slam into it as chaos swirls around them.

“Come on!” Tyler yells, and kicks the door in. He takes a look around, the walls covered in sickles, knives, and saws, all swinging wildly in the storm. “Oh, fuck no. What kind of  _ Dexter _ bullshit hell is this?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Jamie grabs Tyler’s hand again and pulls him out of the barn, pushing him back against the door when a piece of what looks like a metal roof slices by them.

They run, debris and dirt obscuring their vision as the twister grows ever closer. Tyler spots a smaller building and practically throws himself inside, Jamie following and slamming the door behind him. There’s a U-shaped pipe in the middle of the room, and Tyler watches Jamie grab hoses from the wall and throw them at Tyler.

“Strap yourself in.” He orders, and Tyler does as he’s told. Just as Tyler tightens the loop tying him to the pipe the building comes apart around them, the walls sucked into the twister. He clings to the pipe, feels Jamie beside him, and holds on for dear life as the tornado moves above them, turning them upside down. Tyler looks up, sees Jamie doing the same, and realizes that they’re in the center of the cyclone, an odd calm as chaos swirls around them. He can see a sliver of blue sky, and if he wasn’t so sure that they’re about to die, he could almost appreciate the beauty.

As quick as it came over them, the storm moves on and dissipates. Jamie and Tyler collapse onto the ground, still tied to the pipe.

“You okay?” Jamie asks, running a hand through Tyler’s curls.

“Yeah.” Tyler sighs. He looks up and sees the farmhouse still intact in the distance. “Hey, look. It didn’t take the house.”

“Here come the guys.” Jamie nods in the direction of the highway, where he can see the caravan on the horizon. “We did it.”

“Yeah. STARS really flew.” Tyler replies with a soft smile.

“It was a good idea,” Jamie shrugs.

“Yeah, well…” Tyler trails off.

“We’ve got so much to do!” Jamie exclaims. “I have to get grants for a new warning system, you’ve got to do an analysis of all the data-“

“Wait,  _ I’m _ doing the analysis?” Tyler scoffs.

“Yeah.” Jamie nods, like it’s obvious. “You’ll do the analysis and I’ll run the lab-“

“Hell, no.  _ I’m _ running the lab;  _ you’re _ doing the analysis, you’re the doctor.”

“Tyler-“

“ _ Jamie _ -“ Tyler collapses onto the ground. “Do you always have to do things the hard way?”

“You love it.”

“You guys!” Dickie yells, running up toward them. “It worked! The sensors are going crazy!”

“Biggest twister ever recorded!” Rads cheers, looking wild with the bandage still wrapped around his head.

“Cap, Segs, check out that sky.” Guri muses, pointing behind them.

Tyler looks to Jamie, a smile growing on his face as he feels Jamie fist Tyler’s filthy shirt in his hand.

“You know what? I think we’ve seen enough.” Jamie tells the group and pulls Tyler up into a kiss. 

**Author's Note:**

> Minor character deaths: Toward the end, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are killed by a tornado. Marchy is the main antagonist of this fic, but he dies because of sheer stubbornness and being unwilling to listen, and unfortunately he takes Pasta down with him. The death is not graphic, but is witnessed by Jamie and Tyler from a distance. 
> 
> Come yell with me about dumb hockeys @[bennsseguin](https://bennsseguin.tumblr.com/)!


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